A hot bath, an accident and a long night
by onceuponadiary
Summary: Set after 6x04: Sansa decided to take a bath in some hot springs in Castle Black. What she didn't expect was a run-in with a certain squire. And how the night would end for both of them... (two-shot)


It had been twenty days, since Sansa escaped her husband. Nineteen days since she was rescued by Lady Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne. Eighteen days since Theon had said goodbye. Twelve days since she cried of joy when it became clear that she was not pregnant with her torture's child. Eight days since she arrived at Castle Black and she was told that Jon had left the day before. Five days since they found Jon and, surprisingly, a woman dressed in red. Four days since Jon had sworn to fight with her and kill Ramsay for all the terrible things he had done to Sansa. It had been one day since their return to Castle Black. And exactly one minute since Sansa had completely embarrassed herself.

She had been walking around the buildings, trying to get acquainted with them as they were to stay here for a while.

Jon had rallied the wildlings and asked for volunteers to fight the Bolton's. Surprisingly a large number of them had come forth to fight against the Northern Lords. Somehow word had gotten around of the terrible mistreating Sansa had to endure by Ramsay's hands and the wildlings were astounded that someone would do something like that. Especially the spear wives volunteered to go to war for her, lusting after revenge for her sake.

It had been a nice evening and as she had yet to see all of Castle Black and her brother was too busy conversing with the wildlings to show her around. So she had taken it upon herself to discover all the ins and outs of the castle, too wary of the unfamiliar faces here to ask anyone for help. She might have asked Brienne, or even Podrick, but they had retired for much needed sleep as they had to guard her every single night since she escaped.

Sansa had been lost in her thoughts when she had suddenly come upon a huge stone archway with a massive wooden door. She had never been to that part of the castle, which wasn't that surprising as they had only spent one night there. Curiosity took over and she opened the heavy door, peeking inside.

A warm fog had greeted her and she had immediately recognized that those were the bathing chambers for the Night's watch. They had a similar one in Winterfell, shaped out of the natural hot springs found frequently in the North.

She had dared to open the door a little bit more, looking around the spacious room. There were four big pools of water, at least as far as she could tell in the dim lighting and the water mist.

And not one person had been there.

"Hello? Anyone there?" She had asked just to make sure, lest she see any unwanted naked men like the Wildling Tormund or her brother Jon. She had shuddered at the thought. But as no one had answered she had entered the room fully and closed the door after her.

It had had been a long time since she had a proper _warm_ bath as there were no real servants at Castle Black, or the wilderness, so she had felt the sudden desire to go bathing in those nice and warm springs. Checking again the surroundings, she had slowly stripped herself of her garments behind a huge boulder in the middle of the room. In case someone came in.

Sansa had decided to take her bath in one of the more secluded pools in the rear. Taking her clothes with her she had slowly slipped into the soothing water. She had let out a moan at the great feeling, when she had suddenly felt more than saw another presence in her pool as it was darker in the back of the room to give more privacy.

"Who's there?" She had asked again and this time she had received an answer.

"I'm sorry, my lady, I didn't think that you would be going to this pool or in any pool at all and then it was too late to answer and then I just wanted to remain hidden and…and…I'm sorry again, my lady, I'll leave immediately."

Just as she had recognized the voice, she had heard the movement of someone going out of the water and then…a crashing noise and a groan?

"Podrick? Everything alright? Are you hurt?"

The only answer she had gotten was some sort of pained groan. Worrying about her trustworthy companion, and not about her state of undress, she had quickly swam to the sound of the whimpers, until she could distinctly make out a shape of a body on the floor by the pool.

"Podrick?" She had asked again.

"Yes, Lady Sansa?"

"Did you hurt yourself just now?"

"My deepest apologies, my lady. Again. I'll leave immediately."

He had tried to stand up too quickly and had slipped again on the wet floor, falling with a loud splashing noise in the pool next to Sansa. When he hadn't surfaced after a minute, she had gotten worried. Had he hit his head? Was he dying? Should she help him? Of course, she should help him. No question.

Determined she had set out to find his body in the dark waters. She had never been a great diver, only being able to keep her head under water for a few seconds, but the life of one of the nicest guys in the world hung in the balance. So she had dived deep down, looking for some kind of skin or hair, or any sign of the loyal squire.

After a few tries, she had finally spotted some colour in the water and had dived towards it. When she felt the warm shape of a human body she let out an inward sigh of relief, dragging his body to the surface and to the edge of the pool.

With all her strength she had pushed him on the floor and out of the water, having followed only a second later. She had checked for a sign of life in his body and had found a flutter of his heartbeat. Still, it had been weak and having panicked she had done the only thing she knew would provoke a reaction out of a grown man, as she had had tried once on Ramsay much to his displeasure. And so she had kicked him in his groin.

It may as well have been the most embarrassing moment in her life, as foretold earlier. But it had an immediate effect on Podrick as he sat up instinctively, letting all the water that had been in his lungs out, coughing repeatedly afterwards.

Sansa let out a sigh of relief and quickly slipped into the water before he realized the state of undress they were both in. It wasn't proper and even so Sansa still had ugly markings and scars Ramsay had inflicted upon her that she didn't want anyone to see.

Nonetheless she couldn't help but glance at the squire's manly parts more closely now that he wasn't in mortal danger. Sansa couldn't say for sure, as she had seen only Ramsay's before but in comparison Pod's was rather big, both in length and width. Something inside her stirred at the sight, like there had before on some occasion, for example the other day when she had unknowingly walked into an intimate position of her sworn sword and the wildling chieftain Tormund.

Of course she was no stranger to copulation, but this situation had been clearly consensual and so full of passion that she had wished for a quick moment to be Brienne. Heat had flowed in her nether regions and she had snuck out of the tent before any of them could see her. She was still so unknown in the pleasures of the flesh and didn't know what was happening to her body when confronted with those stirring feelings.

Suddenly she felt stared at and lifted her eyes to Pod's inquiring ones, blushing at the thought that he had just caught her red-handed, drifting a bit deeper into the water so just her face could be seen.

Seemingly shaking himself out of some thoughts of his own, he stood up and awkwardly bowed in her direction, although his hand were now covering his member in an attempt to remain some dignity.

"My Lady, I can not say how terribly sorry I am for the misfortune that just happened nor how utterly grateful I am for your obvious help in saving my life. I am forever in your debt. If you need anything I'll be there for you. Please forgive me."

He was still in his bowing position, obviously waiting for some sign of Sansa to let him go, but she remained silent.

Sansa was thinking very hard and finally got the courage to ask him. She knew it was intimate and embarrassing but she couldn't let this opportunity pass. She was just too curious.

"Thank you, Pod. All is forgiven, no worries. And you can call me Sansa when we are in private, you know."

Flustered Podrick nodded "Thank you my…uhmmm..Sansa."

Giggling a bit at the young man she finally felt brave enough for the real question. "Actually, you can help me out a bit. That is, if you feel inclined to do so, as it is quite personal and I wouldn't want to put you in a compromising position."

Bowing again, he answered: "Whatever you ask of me, I will gladly help you with the matter."

"First may I ask you a question?"

He nodded.

"Are you still a virgin, Podrick?"

This had been the least expected question for him, so he was quite startled and blushed a deep shade of red.

"You really don't have to answer that! I'm so sorry, Podrick. I don't know what came over me. Forget I ever asked!"

Sansa was so embarrassed. What had she been thinking? This was even more embarrassing than earlier. She turned her back to him and was just about to swim away from him when she heard him speak up.

"No, you don't have to worry about asking. Only I have to apologize for I was quite startled by your question. But no, I'm not a virgin, my lady."

She turned back around, feeling slightly better that she hadn't affronted him and he was just as embarrassed, if not more, by their situation.

"I thought I told you to call me Sansa."

"Apologies….Sansa."

"Anyway… Seeing as you are not inexperienced you might help me out on a matter that has been plaguing me for quite a while. Sadly I do not know what is happening to my body at times and I am curious. You see, whenever I see someone in an intimate act or I don't know…some…some of the more handsome wildlings without their shirts, I get this feeling in my lower belly and there's a heat forming _there_. And...and… gods, this is embarrassing…but I don't know _why_ my body does that and I don't have anyone to ask, so…do you think that maybe…maybe you can explain that to me?"

By the end of her speech, she put her hands on her face letting out a groan of frustration, while putting her elbows on the edge of the pool. She couldn't look in the eyes of him, afraid to find a mocking, or worse, a pitying face.

But when she finally did, she found another red face staring back at her. That could also be attributed due to the fact that he was still covering his groin with only his hands.

"My lady…I don't think it's proper to discuss things like that with me. I'm just a simple squire and not worthy…."

"Pod, Pod, just stop! It's quite alright, I don't think anyone could be more worthy in my eyes than you. You are kind-hearted, brave and quite handsome if I may say so. And I think you are the only one that will be totally honest with me in this subject. So, please, answer me…", she begged him.

"My la…ahmmm…I mean Sansa. Thank you for your kind words. You are the most beautiful woman in the world, just so you know, and _you_ are kind-hearted and brave…And I will explain this sensation you experience in your…ahmm…lower belly…", he said shyly to her.

Sansa sported now a beetroot-red face and felt how even in the water she the sensation she was so curious about formed itself in her nether regions.

"Go on, Podrick", she encouraged him slightly.

"Well, I can't say I'm an expert myself in matters of intercourse between men and women, but what you described is basically…ahmmm…well, when a man wants to make love to a woman than…well, he hast to put his…ahm…thing in a woman's…ahm…thing…and if the woman desires the man as well moisture gathers in her lower region to make it more comfortable for both…and ahm…to experience pleasure?"

Sansa had listened intently and sunk even deeper in her water of shame. _Of course_ it meant that. Why had she been so stupid? She had learned from Shae in King's Landing that sex could be pleasurable as well, so why didn't she think of this earlier? She wondered what it would feel like with someone kind and gentle like Pod and felt herself growing even more aroused.

"Thank you, Pod. That was very kind of you. You may leave now…"

"I am glad I could help you with your…predicament." He bowed awkwardly and started to leave her alone.

Sansa would later asked herself why she had done what she was about to do, but she liked to call it an act of courage.

"Wait! Pod!", she ran out of the water and Pod turned around, just to turn around again embarrassed at the sight of her in her birthday suit.

"What can I do for you…Sansa?"

"I give you two choices. Either you walk away now and we never speak of what happened in here again…Or..well, you stay…you stay and make love to me. Show me the ways of pleasure, Pod. I won't ever find someone else that makes actually makes me feel comfortable in my body again and I don't want to marry anymore. Just show me once and I'll never have to wonder again how pleasure can feel…could have felt like, if I would have had more luck in my life…I'll count to 50 and if you're gone by that time, I will never bring up this topic again…but if not…here I am."

In the end she had delivered a passionate speech and had gotten more demanding by the end of it. But she just couldn't help herself. It was now or never. They had already seen each other naked, so their modesty was compromised either way and she liked Podrick. He had always been sweet and kind to her, even when she had been married to Tyrion.

She closed her eyes and started to count in her head. She was sure she still heard his breath in the cavern after thirty seconds had passed, but then she heard the wet noise of footsteps nearing the exit and all her hopes went out the window. She didn't dare open her eyes for fear of crying. When Sansa heard the doors closing, she cursed herself for making such a fool of herself. What had she been thinking?

Absorbed in her thoughts, she hadn't heard the footsteps coming back again, stopping in front of her. Only when Pod's breath mingled with her own, did she seem to understand the situation. Before she could open her eyes or mouth, she was being kissed gently.

Sansa didn't know someone could kiss this gently. Ramsay had only been forceful with kissing her the few times that he did and she had no real other experience.

As soon as the kissing started, it had stopped again. This time she opened her eyes. A blushing Podrick was standing in front of her. Apparently he had put on his trousers again and he still didn't think of looking at her body. Instead he wordlessly handed her her dress.

"What does this mean?" Sansa asked in a small voice.

"I want to help you. I want you to forget everything that came before me. I…I want you to scream in pleasure," his throaty voice said. "But not here. It is not fitting for a lady. So dress yourself."

Sansa's mouth hung open. He wanted her to scream in pleasure? She would have never expected such a sentence to leave young Podrick's lips. But they gave her pleasant shivers down her body.

"But where else could we do it? I do have my own room, but if you really want me to scream…I don't want you to die by my brother's hand. If he catches you…"

"Then you'll just have to muffle your screams…Now dress, my lady. I think it would be best if I come visit you tonight. This way, we'll have the whole night to ourselves."

"Okay, we have a deal. Come when my brother is asleep and knock once. Just once."

Sansa was disappointed but could also see the clear logic behind his reasons. She _would_ need to have dinner in a couple of hours and she couldn't turn up dishevelled at dinner table. Jon would immediately know something was up. This way, she could pretend to be sick the next day or something else to stay in bed. She quickly dressed herself, while glancing at Pod every now and then. He had also made a move to fully dress himself. When he was finished Sansa looked to him for help.

"Can you help me bind my dress together in the back? I can't seem to get it right by myself."

Ever the obedient squire he came to help after his last boot was firmly on his feet again. His fingers made quick work of the lacing and soon she was proper again. Although his fingertips had seemed to linger a bit longer than was normal, which made her blush again.

After they were now both fully dressed, Sansa made a move to the door. "Just leave five minutes after me. To be safe. Is that fine?"

"Yes, milady."

Sansa then stepped outside in the cold climate of the North, already wishing for evening to come sooner.


End file.
